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Which should I use for my baby's teeth?

Hi everyone!

My baby started to grow her first tooth when she was about 9 months. At 10months, she now has 4 teeth. However, I've noticed that my baby's upper tooth has a bit of discoloration, which made me want to start brushing her teeth. But what may have caused this slight yellowish discoloration? And I have a bit of a dilemma which is best to use - should I use toothbrush with bristles or a rubber toothbrush for her teeth? And is it already safe to brush her teeth with toothpaste? What toothpaste can you recommend?

It's recommended that you begin brushing your children's teeth as soon as they get them and many dentists even recommend that you clean their gums before the teeth come through. Once they have two teeth that are touching, floss should be introduced. Most dentists also recommend that children see them for the first time by the age of one, so this would be a great time to make an appointment with a local practitioner and discuss your concerns regarding the discoloration.

As for what toothpaste to use, she is too young for fluoride but there are many training pastes out there that do not contain any fluoride at all. You could even just opt to use warm water or a little bit of baking soda if she tolerates it. You could also go with xylitol wipes, which have been clinically proven to help prevent cavities in small children, rather than using a paste and brush.

As for the device to use, it is really a matter of preference. A soft bristled pediatric brush is fine, a rubber thumb brush is fine, and even a cloth or the wipes I mentioned above would probably still be OK.